Cane-glass manufacture.



I. T. FAGAN.

CANE GLASS MANUFACTURE. APPLICATION FILED 111N523. I913.

Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Inve mtor: JopnT. iv an IUL- J. T. FAGAN.

CANE GLASS MANUFACTURE.

APPLICATION FILED mum 3.1913.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Im/ent0r-:

Japan I". w :1

'J. T. FAGAN.

CANE GLASS MANUFACTURE. APPLICATION man JUNE 3. 1913.

A Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- II II l lm/ewfier-z JonTPaam d'UHltl' ll. FAG-AN, WE CLEVELAND, OHIU, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIE comment, A,

CORPORAWIUN 0% NEW YUEK.

To all whom it may concern lie it known that I, Join: 'l. FAGAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, county of Uuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Cane-Glass Manufacture, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to the working of glass and the like, and to the production of cane glass.

According to one method heretofore practised, both'solid and hollow cane glass have been produced by drawing out a piece" of glass in a"gallery, two persons taking hold of the ends of the piece of glass and walking away from one another, and the glass being thus drawn out into a long rod or thread which quickly cooled and was then out up into convenient lengths. According to an other method, a so-called bait was immersed in a body of heated glass and then pulled upward and the glass drawn up after it to whatever extent the height of the building or the like allowed, the solidified thread or rod being then cut into lengths and the bait brought down to the supply of lili glass for a repetition of the operation.

llo'ththe methods just described have the disadvantage that the operations involved are not continuous and that in practice they require a great deal of space, as well as varn ous other well known disadvantages that it is not necessary to specify. Anion the more important advantages obtainable through my invention as co red with such methods are continuity o o oration, uniformity of product, and rapi it and cheapness of production. lln addition to these, my invention affords other well known advantages of manufacture by machinery which is entirely automatic and continuous init's operation over manufacture involving the employment of skilled labor and the lidiosyncracies of the individual workman,

l have hereinafter described specifically the production of solid cane or rod glass in accordance with my invention by means of a glass working machine which is adapted for continuous automatic operation and can be made to deliver its product in convenient standard lengths. It is, however, to be understood that my invention and the particular mechanism disclosed are also applicable to the production of hollow glass rod or tubing. While, also, the invention extends.

specification of Letters Patent.

to this mechanism and to its specific features and details of operation and construction,--

which are of importance because of their special advantages,yet it is not confined to this machine and its details, but can be otherwise carried out and applied. Various advantages obtainable in connection with 7 Patented July 23, 1W8, Application filed June 3, left. serial No. water.

form cane glass of any desired size therefrom, and to cut this glass into definite lengths and deliver or discharge it to any suitable receiving means, these operations being performed automatically and either continuously or repeatedly without any limitation except the exhaustion of the supply of heated glass. ln the operation of t is machine, the soft lass is continually drawn from the supply irectly into rod form by an upward pull exerted on it throu h a portion reviously drawn out and sol1dified,- the size of the solidified rod being determined by the rate of speed at which the glass is ulled and its initial temperature, as well as y its composition and the like, just as is the case in the method of intermittently drawing with a bait above described. Glass rod about t to inch in diameter, for example, can be produced with the machine hereinafter described by pulling at the rate of 4:0 to 60 feet per minute from a pot of ordinary lead glass (such as incandescent lamp bulbs are made of) maintained at a temperature of about'LtPOtl to 1,200 F.

In the machine hereinafter described, the drawing of the glass is efi'ectedby gripping means or devices which successively take hold of the solidified rod or thread at suitable intervals and travel upward with it,

and concurrently with the continuous drawing of the rod it is from time to time automatically cut at definite intervals by means whose action bears a definite relation to the travel of the grip ing means and released from the latter and delivered to the receiving means. After having thus participa in a complete cycle of'operations, each gripping device returns downward to take a fresh hold upon the lass and travel upward with it again, etc. s the gripping devices thus travel continually up and down, they are in this machine successively caused to grip the glass rod or to release it by relatively stationary means which they encounter in their travel. The cutting means, on the contrary, remains relatively stationary and is intermittently brought into action by parts which travel along with the gripping devices In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my" invention, certain intermediate portions being broken away in order that the machine as a whole may ap pear within the limits of the drawing.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation, certain parts being shown in section.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but on a larger scale showing the construction of various parts or indicating their mode of operation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation on a larger scale of a device or mechanism appearing in Figs. 1 to 5 inclpsive; Fig. 7 is an end view of the same; and Fig. 8 is a plan view showing various parts as in section at a horizontal i rface corresponding to the line 88 in 1g. 6. I Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation upon-an enlarged scaleof certain of the mechanism appearing in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive; and Fig. 10 is a corresponding plan view, a portion of one of the parts shown being broken away. v

I Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail plan view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the operation of certain parts not shown in Fig. 3.

As will be seen from Figs. 1, 2, and others, the operating arts of the machine are mounted on a rame structure 1 supported on wheels 2' which allow it to travel on rails 3 extending along the top of a row of glass furnaces 4, so that the machine can easily be moved into position to take glass from the glass pot in any furnace, as occasion may require. As shown, the gripping devices 5 are carried along in a continuous up and down path by carrier means com rising a pair of vertically ascending belts the form of sprocket chains 6 which travel over upper and lower sprocket wheels 7 and Son upper and lower horizontal shafts 9 and 10 mounted in bearin on the framework 1,say some 10 to 15 5 cc chains 6 are driven by the upper sprocket wheels 7, power for this purposebemg derived from any suitable source,as, for example, a motor 11 which acts through a belt 12'to drive a horizontal shaft 13 extend ing at right angles to the shaft 8 and conaving t apart. These transmission.

The gripping devices 5 shown comprise suitable frame structures 15 attached to the chains 6 by pins or bolts 16 which pass through lugs 17 on the structures 15 and may also serve as ivots between adjacent links of the chains Figs. 3, 4, and 5, etc.). They are guided in their upward movement by ways or guides 18 which, as shown, are formed by the flanges of the I beam uprights 19 of the framework 1, rollers 20 being interposed between each end of each frame 15 and the corresponding guide 18. As shown, there are four of these rollers 20 at each end of each frame 15 arranged in two pairs one above the other, those of each pair traveling on opposite sides of the guides 18. As will be seen from Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the axes of the rollers 20 are at the ends of parts 21 which are pivoted on vertical pivots 22 on the frame-work 15, and the rollers of each pair are yieldingly but forcibly urged together upon the guide 18 between them by springs 23 acting upon the parts 21 as shown, a bolt 24 extends through lugs 25 on the part 21 which carries the rollers of each pair and the spring 23 is compressed between one of these lugs and the nut on the adjacent end of this bolt. In order to insure that the gripping device 5 shall always travel upward in exactly the same vertical path without any looseness or play, the part 21 which carries one of the rollers 18 of each pair is adjustably fixed in position by being clamped between the head of a bolt 26 which screws into a lu 27 on the structure 15 and a nut 28 on said bolt, the rollers shown as thus fixed being the rear one of the pair which is uppermost when the device 5 is ascendin and the front one of the pair which is then' owermost.

Referring, now, to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that each of the gripping devices 5 comprises a pair of jaws or grippers proper 30 adapted to come together upon the glass thread or rod R and rip it or to separate and release it, one 0 these movements being spring actuated and the reverse movement being brought about by stationary means adjacent the path of the devices 5. In the particular construction shown, the opening of the grippers 30 is spring actuated, and they are closed and maintained closed by the action of the stationary means in question through yielding connections which limit the force with which they grip the rod R and so keep it from being crushed. The grippers 30, it will be seen, consist of. round disks with asbestos pads .31 sunk in their acting faces, and they names are mounted on spindles 32 which slide in bores in lugs 33 n a central portion 34 of the structure 15 (Fig. 8). The spindles 32 are actuated by arms or brackets 35 mounted on rods 36 which slide in bores in the central and the end. portions 34 and 37 of the structure 15, the brackets 35 being adjustably secured on the rods 36 by set-screws 38. The

outer ends of the spindles 32' (somewhat reduced in size) extend loosely through holes in the brackets 35 and have nuts 39 on them, and spiral springs 40-are interposedbetween the inner sides of the brackets 35 and washers 'or enlargements 41 on the spindles 32,this construction forming the yielding connection above mentioned by which the action of the grippers 30 on the rod R is cushioned As shown, (Fig. 8), the spiral spring 42 which causes the opening of the grippers 30 is arranged between the adjacent ends of the rods 41, in the bore in the part 34 in which the rods slide. The stationary means by which the grippers 30 are caused to close and for some time kept closed are the edges of the guides 18 acting through rollers 43 in slots in the outer endsot the rods 36, and the grippers 30 may be kept closed after the rollers 43 travel off the upper ends of the guides at 44 by short auxiliary ways or shoes 45 which extend on up and around to the point where the devioes 5 are to deliver the severed rods 7* to the receiving trough 46 (Fi .4). As shown, the ways 45 do not act on t 1e rollers 43, but on other rollers 47 at the outer ends of rods 48 which slide in grooves in the front faces of the parts 36 and are kept in place by straps 49, the inner ends of these rods 48 bearing against the outer sides of the arms 34 or against parts associated with them (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). The grippers 30 may be caused to remain open as long as'desired after the devices 5 begin their upward travel along the ways 18 by cutting away the edges of the ways as shown (Figs. 1 and 3), so

that for a suitable distance up they shall be too far apart to force the grippers together.

In the machine shown, the lengths 1 into which the thread or rod F. is cut correspond to the distances apart of successivegripping devices 5, and the severance is preferably efi'ecteda short distance below each gripping device 5 as it approaches the upper end of its path of travel, before the delivery to the receiving trough 46. As will be seen from Figs. 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10, the cutting mechanism 50 comprises two parts 51 whose relatively heavy outer ends swing together upon the glass thread R and crush and shatter it, being provided with suitably beveled or otherwise sharpened edge portions 52 for this purpose. These parts 51 are pivoted at 53 between bars 54 attached to brackets cent their pivots 53 which cause them to swing in unison (Figs. 9 and 10). As will:

between the bars 54, and this rod 57 is connected by another pin and slot connection 58 with one arm 59 of a bell-crank lever 60 fulcrumed in abracket 61 secured to the bars 54. and having a roller 62 at the end of its other arm 63. Owing to a spring 64 which acts on the arm'59 of the bell-crank, the parts 51 are normally swung apart as shown in Fig. 10, so that the glass thread R and the grippers 30 may pass between them; but as each device 5 rises above the parts 51 a cam means comprising a part 65 having an inclined acting t'aoe (see Figs. 6, 7 and 8) attached to one of the arms 35 encounters the roller 62 and causes the parts 51 to'swing together upon the glass thread It below the device 5 in question and sever it.

After a length of rod r hasthus been detached from the upper end of the thread the continuing movement of the device 5 which still grips it will carry it on up, and it will swing over as the device 5 passes over the sprocket wheel 7 until it comes into the position indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 4, when the rollers 47 will travel 03 the ends of the ways 45 and the grippers 30 will open and allow the rod 1" to drop into the chute 46. V The chute 46 may conveniently be mounted on the frame work 1 in any manner which will render it freely adjustable. As shown, it is pivoted to the upper end of a short rod adapted to slide in a hub 71 on a horizontal arm 72, a set-screw 73 by which the rod 70 can be secured at any desired height bein provided, and the arm 7 2 is in turn slidab y mounted in a hub 74 at tached to some art of the frame-Work 1 and similarly provi ed with a set-screw 75. Provision for tilting the chute 43 as desired may be made by means of a slotted link 76 having its upper end pivoted to the trough and adapted to be clamped to the rod 70 by a screw 77.

When the machine is to be started, an initial thread of glass can be drawn up from the pct 80 by hand by means of an iron rod commonly known as a bait; and to insure that this thread of glass shall be drawn from a point in the pot directly in line with the path of travelof the jaws 30, guiding means for guiding the bait may be provided. As will be seen from Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 11, such guiding means may consist of a pair of suitably spaced arms 82 having in their ends holes or notches 83 for the bait. These arms 82 can conveniently be mounted on a vertical rod or shaft 84 having bearings in brackets 85 secured to one out the uprights 19 so that they may swing back out or the path of the gripping devices as soon as they have served their purpose (Figs. 1 and 2). For swingingthisbait guide into place (Figs. 3, 4 and 11), a handle 86 attached to the shaft 84 may be employed, and a spring 87 may be connected to this handle to cause the guide to swing back out of the way auto- I matically. As soon, therefore, as the operof themselves take hold of the thread R and the drawing up of the glass and the other operations will go on automatically as already described. If desired, the coming of the thread of glass between each pair of jaws 30 so as to be properly gripped by them may be insured by means of a guide comprising an arm with a hole or eye at its end arranged like one of the guide arms 82 above mentioned, but low enough not to lie in the path of the jaws 30; or a slender guide part located just below where the jaws 30 close may be arranged so that the open jaws can pass at each side of it. However, nothing of this sort will be necessary if the thread of glass It is drawn from the middle of the pot and the upward path of the jaws is directly in line with the middle of the pot, or even, in general, if the thread of glass is merely drawn from the pot at a point directly in line with the upward path of the aws. J The apparatus hereinbefore set forth is applicable to the production of both solid and hollow glass rod, especially cane and tubing of the small dimensions required in the manufacture of electric incandescent lamps, and it is understood that the terms thread, cane and rod, as used in the specification and attached claims, are intended to cover both the solid and tubular structures.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A'maehine for the manufacture of cane glass, comprising an endless carrier with automatically operated gripping devices attached to it at suitable intervals and following theentire path of travel thereof, means for causing each of said gripping devices, as it ascends, to close upon and grip cane glass at the time extending from a supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping devices next above that last mentioned; severing means located in the path of the ascending grippers for successively severing the glass cane between ascending gripping devices, said gripping devices being adapted to hold and maintain the detached sections firmly with their lengths in the direction of travel throaghout the travel of the detached sections, and releasing means in the path of travel for successively releasing said gripping devices.

2. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass or glass tubing comprising a. frame adapted to be mounted in working relation with a receptable for molten glass, an endless chain carrier carried by said frame, gripping members permanently attached to said endless carrier, means for automatically severing the glass rod or tube between iwo gripping members, means for thereafter releasing the gripping members holding the detached section, and an adjustable chute adapted to be positioned in the path of the detached section to receive the same when the gripper is released.

3. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass or glass tubing comprising a frame adapted to be mounted over a receptacle for molten glass, a vertically disposed endless chain carrier carried by said frame, gripping members permanently attached to said endless carrier, severing means for automatically detaching a section of the glass rod or tube held by said gripping members, means for thereafter releasing the gripping members, holding said detached section and an adjustable chute adapted to be positioned in the path of the detached section to receive the same when the gripping members are released.

4. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass comprising an endless chain carrier with automatically operated gripping devices comprising supporting frames permanently and rigidly attached to it at suitable intervals whereby the grippers follow the entire path of travel of the conveyor and the supporting frames maintain a fixed position relative thereto throughout the travel, means for causing each of said gripping devices asit ascends to close upon and grip a cane of glass at the time extending from the supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping device next above that last mentioned, severing means located in the path of the ascending grippers for successively severing the glass cane between ascending gripping devices, releasing means for releasing the gripping members after their ascending supporting framesnlaintain a fixed position relative thereto throughout the travel, means for causing each of said gripping devices as it ascends to close upon and grip a cane of glass at the time extending from the supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping devices next above that last mentioned severing means located in the path of the ascending grippers for successively severing the glass cane between ascending gripping devices, and releasing means for successively releasing said gripping members after the beginning of their downward journey.

(5. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass comprising a vertically disposed endless chain conveyer with gripping devices attached to it at suitable intervals, means for causing each of said gripping devices as it ascends to close upon and grip a cane of glass at the time extending from a supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping device next above that last mentioned, so that as they repeatedly and successively travel upward the gripping devices may uninterruptedly draw glass from the supply into cane form, severing means for detachlng a glass cane between successive grlppmg devices at a point substantially midway therebetween during their ascension, releasing means for successively releasing the sections during the downward journey, and receiving means adapted to receive the detached and released sections from the gripping members.

7. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass comprising a vertically disposed endless chain conveyer with gripping devlces attached to it at suitable intervals, means for causing each of said gripping devices as 1t ascends to close upon and grip a cane of glass at the time extending from a supply of heated glass beneath and the grlpplng devices next above that last mentioned, so that as they repeatedly and successively travel upward the gripping devices may uninterruptedly draw glass from the supply into cane form, severing means for detaching a glass cane between successive gripping devices at a point substantially midway therebetween during their ascension, releasing means for successively releasing the detached sections during the period when the gripping members are changing from the upward to the downward movement and while the sections of glass are inclined to the vertical, and a receiving means positioned to receive the inclined sections.

8. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass comprising a pair of vertically disposed endless chains located in different parallel planes and means supporting the same over a receptacle of molten glass, a frame attached to each of said chains and movable with them in a confined path, relatively movable gripping members carried by the said frame and normally urged to open position by suitable springs, a cam located in the upward path of said grippers and adapted to cause said gripping members to engage a glass cane drawn from the receptacle, said cam extending upwardly to the point where the gripping members are "last mentioned, severing means located in the path of the ascending grippers for successively ,severing the glass cane between ascending gripping devices, and releasing means for successively releasing said gripping members after the glass sections are detached.

10. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass, comprising a vertically disposed endless carrier with gripping devices attached to it at spitable intervals and followingthe entire path of travel thereof, means for causing each of said gripping devices as it ascends to close upon and grip cane glass at the time extending from a supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping device next above that last mentioned, so that as they repeatedly and successively travel upward the gripping devices may uninterruptedly draw glass from the supply into cane form, severing means for detaching the glass cane between successive gripping devices, said gripping devices being adapted to hold and maintain the detached sections firmly with their lengths in the direction of travel throughout the travel of the detached sections, releasing means for successively releasing the sections at a point in the travel Where the detached sections of glass are inclined to the vertical, and receiving means adapted to receive the detached and released inclined sections from the gripping memers.

11. A machine for the manufacture of cane glass, comprising a vertically disposed endless carrier with gripping devices attached to it at suitable intervals and following the entire path of travel thereof, means for causing each of said gripping devices as it ascends to close upon and grip cane glass at the time extending from a supply of heated glass beneath and the gripping devices next above that last mentioned, so that as they repeatedly and successively travel upward the gripping devices may uninterchanging from the upward to the downward ruptedly draw glass from the supply into movement and while the sections of glass cane form, severing means for detaching are inclined to the vertical, and a receiving the glass cane between successive gripping means positioned to receive the inclined seo- 15 5 devices, said gripping devices being adapted .tions.

to hold and maintain the detached sections In witness whereof I have hereunto set 'firmly with theirlengths in the direction of my hand this 29th day of May. 1913.

travel throughout the travel of the detached JOHN T. FAGAN. sections, releasing means for successively Witnesses: 10 releasing the detached sections during the CHARLES E. STROBEL,

period when the gripping members are CHARLEs V. CLANCY. 

